


Of Patriarchy and Kissing

by Khashana



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Boys Kissing, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, I'm so glad that's a tag, Kissing, M/M, Patriarchy, Tumblr Prompt, not that I can remember where I got it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 18:59:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7544161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khashana/pseuds/Khashana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"So you never learned how to kiss?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Patriarchy and Kissing

**Author's Note:**

> Found this in my file. If you know what the hell tumblr post it's based on, do tell so I can credit.

Tony found Steve looking at pictures of Peggy and reading the files from after she’d saved Howard.   
“Catching up with good old aunt Peg?” asked Tony flippantly, despite the serious look on Steve’s face. He had no idea how to deal with seventy years’ displacement from one’s girlfriend. Might as well stick to the usual method: be an asshole.  
“She should’ve been the one plastered on trading cards and turned into a legend,” Steve said mournfully. “She was braver than I ever was, and smarter, too.”  
“That’s patriarchy for you, Capsicle,” said Tony, plopping himself down next to Steve, secretly relieved that Steve hadn’t gotten angry. Maybe he could sass him into cheering up.  
“Patriarchy?”  
“You know. The system that teaches everyone subconsciously that women just aren’t as capable as men, and that their achievements are some sort of accident or somehow not as remarkable.”  
“There’s a word for it now?” Steve frowned at a picture. “Women are the most capable damn things ever. My mother raised a chronically sick kid on practically no salary. Peggy was….Peggy. Pepper runs a company. Maria Hill scares me. Natasha…”  
“Natasha was also Natasha,” Tony nodded.   
“People talk like men can’t control themselves around women, but all the women I’ve kissed kissed me first,” said Steve, studying his hands and turning faintly red.  
“You can’t be serious!” said Tony, laughing. “So have you never learned how to kiss, then?”  
That made Steve look at him, if only for a second, and turn even redder. “Learned?”  
“Takes practice, you know. No one’s good at it their first time.” Tony was enjoying Steve’s embarrassment far too much. A wild idea popped into his head, and he went with it. “You pucker your lips…” He did so, and Steve started laughing softly, glancing up through his eyelashes, and damn, okay, Steve might not be entirely right at least in his case, because playing at kissing Steve definitely showed a lack of control on Tony’s part. _It’ll be okay,_ he told himself. _I’ll just get close enough to know what it feels like, and then he’ll push me away._  
“And then you tilt your head like so, and you lean in…” He pressed closer to Steve, feeling his heartrate kick up. Any second now, he’ll push away…any second…now…  
And half an inch away Steve stopped breathing. Tony could hear it, the sudden absence of a sound he hadn’t known he’d been listening to. Steve wasn’t smiling anymore, just there, so close, staring at Tony. Tony’s heart kicked into overdrive, and he felt the grin slide off his face. Should he back off? Should he go through with it? Both could end in awkwardness. Could they laugh off an actual kiss? _Come on, Steve, push me away so we can go back to being bros horsing around._  
And Steve inhaled at last, and Tony heard his breath hitch as Steve closed the gap between them.   
It wasn’t great. The angle was weird, Steve was tense and didn’t really know what to do with his lips. But Tony hesitantly kissed back, bringing up a careful hand to cup Steve’s cheek, and slowly, slowly Steve started to get the hang of it, and _oh_ , there, there was the spark.  
They broke apart eventually, and Tony stared at his knees. This was never supposed to happen, they were supposed to just be friends, what was going to happen now, could they pretend it meant nothing, and the idea made his chest hurt, but the idea of letting it mean something made his breathing come too fast and—  
Steve took his hand.   
“Well, now you’ve kissed someone,” said Tony a little too fast.  
“We should do it again sometime,” said Steve, and smiled at him. Tony took a deep breath. And trusted.  
They could do this.


End file.
